What would you recommend to someone just trying Makeup Geek for the first time?

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I haven’t ordered anything from MUG yet, but after looking at the budget-busting Natasha Denona shadows, I might put in a small order for the MUG Foiled shadows, especially their duo chrome ones, hope they hold up on my oily lids.

Definitely use whichever primer is the most crease-preventing on you. I like the foils I have from them (Untamed, Fortune Teller, and Centerstage) but like Christine said they can be crease-prone esp. on oily lids.

(Though I have to say in full disclosure that recent happenings have put me off the brand and while I like some of the few shadows I have and my blush from them, I’m not too keen on re-purchasing from the brand. Plus, Looxi has some shades that are very similar to MUG’s duos and my experience with them has been really positive so far. Not that my opinion should impact anyone else’s! Just to be honest.)

Yay! So glad you’re liking them as much as I am! They’re so good I’ve even worn them in a massive hurry without any primer or prep and just quickly smudged on with my fingers and the duochrome effect is still in full-swing that way. Plus they stayed on! And of course they look incredible with a black base under for extra dimensional fun. Can’t wait to get some more on their next restock. Their instagram has a few helpful re-posts of swatches people did in comparison to other popular duos like MUG’s to help people shop close shades. I’ve already filled an XL Z-Palette with Looxi highlighters and shadows and just got my first two Kickers (the fluid illuminators) yesterday. Going to need a bigger boat hehe

Next restock is on Monday 🙂 She sent out an email recently (highly recommend subscribing to their email updates for restock info). Since it’s pretty much just a one-woman operation she hand-makes everything so the restocks sell out pretty quick, for sure! The Aurora items (certain highlighters and the duo eyeshadows), Kickers, and standard highlights sell out quickest usually so I recommend going in with a purchase plan focused on your must-haves.

Oh thanks so much for the tip, Celia!! You’re an angel. I’ve been eyeing the Looxi stuff for the longest time, will be doing my research today and stalking the website on Monday, trying to grab whatever I can get my greedy little paws on. And I’ll sign up for her emails, too, thanks again 🙂

Just checked the email again and it says 10am CST today <3 Looks like it's a full restock except only pans will be available (compacts are restocking on the 1st of April. I personally just buy the pans because they're cheaper and I can just pop them into a palette. They have good magnetization). GL! 🙂

(Replying to an earlier comment since the reply button disappeared hehe. Hopefully it goes to the right spot :P)

Yay! Congrats on snagging some goodies 😀 I hope you enjoy them as much as I am. My friends noticed my Z-Palette loaded up with Looxi and immediately wanted swatches and fell in love hehe. Which shadows and highlighters did you end up choosing?

I got the Looxi shadows in Disturbia, Malibu, and Glazed &Confused. And the highlighters in Posh and Bombshell. I’m sure the highlighters will be gorgeous, but wasn’t sure the shadows would hold up on my oily lids, so I started with a small order, was SO hard to narrow down my wishlist LOL And thanks for the tip on their email sign up. Did you grab anything this time?

You made excellent choices, I think 🙂 I’ve been really enjoying Disturbia and the other two are in my cart for my next purchase hehe. Posh is a really great, unique take on the classic light-gold highlight. Looks really fun in eye looks as well (the highlighters work great on the eyes too). Bombshell is also at the top of my cart for next time 😉 This time I’m holding off for a little since I just made a huge Fyrinnae order but clearly have my cart all planned out haha.

And my lids are oily as well but I haven’t run into wear or crease problems yet, but of course I can only speak to the Aurora shadows on that. But based on that I think her formula is oil-friendly. They’re very long-lasting (haven’t been able to do full proper longevity tests yet but so far I’ve gotten excellent wear). For example, the MUG foils crease or just generally oil-wear quickly on my lids but these hold out much better. They’ve been very primer and non-primer friendly for me so far so fingers crossed your lids like them too!

Ashamed to admit; I do not oen even one , 1 MUG product…?😳
I think I may need to change that! Considering that Marlena has some lovely eyeshadows and pressed pigments ( I MUST get Steampunk and Typhoon!), it’s about time I do. Even a few loose pigments, too! Yep, now that I apply and store all my makeup in my boudoir as opposed to the bathroom. No SINK for Scunci to be inexorably attracted to jumping up on, LoL!!!

I haven’t tried all their products by any means. I love the couple of blushes I have, and they’re very reasonably priced. So I’d say start there.

I don’t care for their pressed eyeshadows for the most part, but lots of people love them. I find them really dry, and many are underpigmented. Their packaging issues of late, and the fact that they launched a product they knew had faulty packaging, makes me wary of trying anything else at this point. I truly hope MUG pulls it together and the glitter and pigment launches were flukes. I would consider trying other products if that turns out to be the case.

This is tough! For a true first timer I would have to just say her matte shadows. Not all, but most, are just excellent performers that you can actually afford to buy multiples of, if you are someone who likes to have their favorite mattes in more than one palette. I don’t have them all, but my faves are Beaches and Cream, Desert Sands, Creme brûlée, Preppy, Barcelona Beach, Unexpected, Corrupt, and Cocoa Bear. Desert Sands is one of her best products, period. Can’t recommend that one enough.

Honeymoon, Head Over Heels and Secret Admirer are my favourite blushes so it’s nice to see them make your list! I really love all my Makeup Geek blushes but since I keep some makeup at my parent’s house for when I stay there I don’t have the blushes with me most of the time. It’s handy to keep Z Palettes/other palettes at their house rather than lots of individual products. It just means that when I do visit them I don’t have to take much makeup at all, which is great, but inevitably there will be times when I want to use a certain item and I can’t because it’s not in my flat! That happens a lot actually. 😄

The only other thing I’ve tried from Makeup Geek is their Foiled eyeshadow range. I have all of the first lot that was released and a handful from the second lot. I may get the rest but I tried to avoid getting anything that was too similar to the the ones I already had. I really like these too. I was going to list my favourites but it’d honestly be easier to list the ones I’m not so keen on! However I won’t.

I’m trying to be very strict with myself when it comes to buying makeup just now so as much as I’d like to try some other Makeup Geek products it won’t be happening any time soon. I can only buy mascara and repurchase anything I have run out of, as long as I don’t have something similar to use instead or if it’s a Holy Grail product!

I apologise for all the lengthy comments these days..I’m currently signed off work so I have way to much time on my hands. 😕

Blushes are fab. For the shadows, check your Temptalia swatch feature, and select by editor’s rating. That way, you are less likely to get a dud. And there are some. They do do better with primer. At least last year, they had a store-wide sale, (maybe summer?) which make everything even more affordable. I managed to amass a big Z plus a few others with probably only 3 orders. I got so disappointed by the decreased quality of the mattes, and then the growing so fast hubris, that I backed off. Still have a few on my wish list. True, they should expand the blushes, rather than pruning them.

I gave MUG a try a while ago after hearing every Youtuber and their mom raving about them. I bought two matte shadows, a foiled one, and a loose pigment. Even with my usual Too Faced eyeshadow primer, they all ended up fading and creasing. Although I definitely liked the pigment the most. Definitely not worth the money, or the hype, at least in my experience.

I am also not a fan with their actions/decisions lately. It has definitely put me off the brand, and I don’t see myself making any more purchases from them (at least not for the foreseeable future).

I have two pressed eyeshadows in “duchess” and “drama queen”, and a foiled eyeshadow in “mesmerized”. The pigment is “bewitched”. They are all beautiful, dark colours, so I typically use them all over the lid. I can’t comment on the transition-type shades, perhaps they work well for that. But whenever I wear these all over the lid they just crease so badly in a short amount of time, even with a primer.